Standing before about 30 people, service pistol strapped to his blue jeans, Dever speaks with quiet passion about (what else?) immigration, before inviting questions.

Senate Bill 1070, then a few days from getting signed by Governor Brewer, and Rob Krentz's murder are what the businesspeople most want to know about.

Susan Tegmeyer, the chamber's president, frets that SB 1070 will make the rest of the country believe that Arizona is filled with racists: "I'm thinking that 1070 is just another nail in our economic coffin."

Paul Rubin

Cochise County Sheriff Larry Dever at the fence near Naco: "There are good people coming over here looking for jobs, I understand that. But bad guys are coming in and will continue to come in."

Janet Napolitano: "The border is as secure as it's ever been."

Dever responds, "The alternative is to do nothing, and that's not acceptable. I expect that our deputies will exercise restraint on 1070. I simply won't allow random wholesale questioning of who you are and where you come from."

The sheriff tells another story about Janet Napolitano:

"As governor of Arizona, she would send bills to the feds trying to get counties repaid for handling stuff that the feds should have been doing. I thought, cool.

"She also wrote to W. asking for National Guard troops down here. I thought, cool.

"Then she goes to D.C. A year ago, I was in her office there, and I asked her directly if deploying the National Guard on the border was still on her plate. She said it was. I said, do you have a timeframe?

"She said they were just trying to determine the specific mission. I said, 'You have a timeframe?' She said, 'Three weeks.' That was a year ago."

On May 25, President Obama announced plans to order up to 1,200 National Guard troops to the border, including an unspecified number to Cochise County.

It is reminiscent of June 2006, when President Bush sent 6,000 troops to the border for two years in a support role that did not include arresting or even tracking down illegal migrants.

Larry Dever long has endorsed moving troops to the border, as do the ranchers interviewed by New Times for this story.

But each of them in his and her own fashion warn against thinking that the Guard will be a magic cure to the multi-layered issue of illegal immigration.

"I'd like to know what the plan is when someone finally figures it out," Dever tells New Times drolly. "I'm sure someone in D.C. knows what they're doing, right?"

Bud Strom, the old rancher and Army general, is skeptical that larger National Guard presence on the border is a positive move.

"Unless they are really savvy to the sophistication of the drug cartels, I don't think they'll be of immediate use," Strom says of the guardsmen. "They'd have to be trained to the methodology that drug smugglers are using down here, and it's not an overnight thing."

The Border Patrol's T.J. Bonner agrees: "This shouldn't be a case of, 'Okay, sleep tight, America, we've got a few thousand troops down there to save the day.

"I can see the Guard helping us with surveillance, with helping us maintain roads, but they don't have the training that we have.'

"Yes, we have seen a tremendous escalation of violence in the last year, especially on the Mexican side. But to just put them out there and say, 'Arrest these people,' is inviting disaster because they have very different training than us — very proactive, not reactive. They are going to have to be seriously retrained."

On the other hand, retired Judge Rich Winkler wants the U.S. military to deploy as many troops as necessary to the border, with permission to do whatever it takes to stem the flow of drugs and illegal aliens.

Hold on, aren't most ranchers deeply opposed to the federal government's butting into their lives, for instance telling them how to run their cattle?

Isn't it a bit much to count on the feds — the personification to many ranchers of all that is wrong with this country — to solve something that politicians and their apparatchiks have made worse over generations?

Standing beneath a windmill on his magnificent ranch on an April day so perfect that, for at least a moment or two, nothing seems to be wrong in the world, Rich Winkler chuckles.

"Well, I guess it all depends on whose ox is being gored," he says. "And, believe me, our ox out here is really being gored."

The law is taken directly from the Federal law. So if you want to boycott or complain about it, do it correctly and boycott the U.S! It is NOT RACIAL PROFILING...Did you read the law!?? It states that if you have pulled someone over for a traffic violation, or have them in custody for a crime they have already commited you can ask for proof of citizenship...Its not hey you are brown I am gonna pull you over and make sure you are legal... People who immigrated here ILLEGALLY should have thought of the consequences before doing so. Everyone should take accountability for their actions, and the reprecussions of those actions. Coming into a country illegally, commiting fraud and stealing peoples identities, commiting tax evasion are serious crimes along with many others...and any CITIZEN would be made to take accountability if they stole someones Identity and so forth. What you are implying is that it is okay for me to break into your home, steal your things, take advatage of your home and it is okay because I am doing it to better myself and my family... Thanks, I will keep that in consideration..Good thing I have responsibility and take accountability for my actions and think before I do something stupid and then when the time comes to suffer the consequences I dont make up some excuse and throw racism into it to save myself from having to take responsibility for what I have done.I think all states should take this law and put it into play since our government hasn't done so! (BTW I am not a conservative, I just believe that if you wanted to come to USA so bad, do it the right way like all the CITIZENS of this country who immigrated here did, or suffer the consequences of your actions...)

YOUR ARTICLE SAYS MUCH OF THIS COUNTRY WAS ONCE THEIR COUNTRY. BACK THEN THERE WAS NO BORDERS. BEFORE EVERY COUNTRY ON THIS EARTH HAD DRAWN OUT A LINE IN THE SAND AND ROPED IT ALL OFF AND CALLED IT HOME WE ALL WALKED ON THIS EARTH WITHOUT BORDERS. GERMANS WERENT GERMANS BEFORE IT WAS CALLED GERMANY AS ITALY FRANCE MEXICO OR ANY OTHER COUNTRY. AMERICA WAS ONE OF THE LAST MAJOR COUNTRIES TO DO SO. MEXICO WAS ONE OF THEM ALSO BUT OVER THE YEARS AMERICA BECAME THE COUNTRY TO BEAT ALL COUNTRIES AND WE ADVANCED IN TECHNOLOGY HEALTH CARE AND WHATEVER ELSE THAT MADE IT WHAT IT IS TODAY. WHY SHOULD WE HAVE TO GIVE TO EVRYBODY FROM A PLACE THAT ISNT ABLE TO DO WHAT WE WERE ABLE TO DO? FOR THE MOST PART OF ALL THE IMMIGRANTS THAT HAVE COME HERE IN MY LIFETIME HAVE NEVER BECOME AMERICANIZED BUT INSTEAD THEY COME HERE AND JUST COLONIZE.

Thank you Arizona, At least there are people standing up for America with some backbone. This past Saturday I was in the local Walmart watching no speaking English people with there buggies over filled, pay with the Georgia Peach care food stamp card.When they walked, got into a high dollar vehicle. Georgia has one of the highest counts of illegals in the United States. We have around 11% unemployment, but when you go into any carpet mill you will find 75% foreigners. I talk to Americans who work there and they tell me that most of them have 2 or 3 Id's. There are a lot of American sewing the carpet mills here and will probably be more law suites soon. Americans have had it with all of this, all Americans in Georgia would like to see what has happened in Arizona happen in Georgia, GOD BLESS YOU ARIZONA!!!!!!!

While I am very sympathetic regarding the death of Mr. Krentz and feel very sorry for his family, I don't think the state of Arizona is doing the right thing to enact this law. Nor do I think it is going to be very effective in stopping the migration of illegals into our country. The issue of immigration is a huge one, largely because of economics. We say that we want to stop illegal immigration, yet employers of large and small companies are usually more than willing to employ them. In many parts of our nation, our economy cannot be sustained without immigrants who are willing to work for minimum wage or less. Let's try to figure out a way to welcome immigrants into our country, people who are willing to work and support their families, and make them legal residents and a part of our productive economy.

I have relatives who live and work in the state as well as a best friend who works for the State of Arizona. I admire Gov. Brewer's courage in establishing laws which actually display the common sense approach to the epidemic flooding of illegal aliens into our United States. It's unfortunate that individual feelings are injured. I would certainly be offended if I was, for example, stopped by the police because I happened to be from another country. My guess is that many non-American people are outraged because their ability to enter our U. S. may be coming to an end and it has the potential to seriously affect their ability to earn money without paying taxes. Being an American is a blessing - not a curse and I make no apology for being born here or for working and investing my earnings in this country. I learned early on that it's not a bad thing to be able to defend myself. I don't want to fight every bully who challenges me - but if the security and well-being of my family or myself is threatened and I'm given no opportunity to retreat, I must defend my home and the lives of those I love. I pray that our leaders in Washington. My desire would be for them to have such a profound change of heart that it would cause them to return to the United States which our fore-fathers not only envisioned but established.

The year is 1907, one hundred and 3+ years ago. Theodore Roosevelt's ideas on Immigrants and being an AMERICAN in 1907.

'In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the person's becoming in every facet an American, and nothing but an American...There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn't an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag... We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language.. And we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people.'

A lot of you people are living in a fantasy world. You actually think that because a law is written a certain way it will be enforced exactly in that manner? You must be nuts! Where have you been all your lives? Look around you, Andrew Thomas and Joseph Arpaio twisting and ignoring the laws and using them to their advantage. You think street cops don't do this, especially if they have the implied consent of their superiors?

Obviously, none of you are brown-skinned young males so you will never know what it's like, just like if you are not a woman you will never know what childbirth feels like. I have personally been falsely accused by Glendale police officers of traffic violations, obviously just an excuse to pull me over. And even after I showed him my drivers license and registration, this officer called ICE on me! I guarantee you this is not an isolated case, this goes on every day in this city and in this country.

What you need to do is stop being hypocrites and admit that discrimination in this country is as strong as ever and SB1070 will just give these racists even more permission to continue their practices.

The only way to stop illegals from crossing our borders it to eliminate the amnesty they receive if successful; eliminate the incentive!! If people from other countries know that they can come to the US, receive free medical care, food stamps, housing, education, etc... in addition to all of the other programs and support available, they will continue to do whatever it takes to get here. This is not rocket science and that point should be at the forefront of every conversation regarding our borders and its security. Eliminate the never ending welfare program immediately.

Our ability as a nation on the federal level to support everyone else ended long ago and never should have been implemented in the first place. Let church organizations, businesses and the private citizens of this great country assist those in need on their own terms if they so choose; both here and abroad... its not the federal governments responsibility.

As for support from the feds in the form of troops and resources, particularly in reference to the closing paragraphs... it "is" the job of our federal government to secure the borders. In fact, it is one of the few jobs they "should" have by the way so yes, send all of the troops necessary to close them up regardless of the cost, which I assume would pale in comparison to the freebies we give out in all of the other areas I mentioned above.

On one hand, you have hard working citizens struggling to make ends meet; medical insurance, sending their kids to school, paying for food and housing, etc... and then on the other hand, you have millions who come here illegally and get all of those things for free!! Why is this happening?? No matter what political party you belong to, anyone with an ounce of common sense can see that this is so incredibly wrong. I often think that we would do better losing all of the ivy league grads who are supposedly "so smart" and bring in a crew of folks with some common sense to run this country. Maybe we should take a poll on that one??

As for the other major reason our borders are so enticing, drugs, eliminate the demand and presto, you eliminate the drug trafficking. Legalize all of the drugs, allow private companies to make them, tax the hell out of it and there would be no need to import the crap from other countries.

Furthermore, take all of the resources that are being thrown down the drain fighting the "war on drugs," and use it to protect the general public from being harmed by those using drugs while in positions of responsibility; flying a commercial airplane, driving a car or school bus, surgeons operating on patients, etc... the dopes that choose to do dope are going to use whether it is against the law or not.

Now that the mexicans have drawn 1st blood IF I lived on the boarder I'd be patroling my property armed to the teeth and treat all the trespassin mexicans like the murdering criminals they are...Hell, I'm for hire for those of you who live down there...

why in the world do us americans let the illegals think theycan tell us how to run our state,and try to tell us what we canand cant do.this is the only bunch of immegrants that have no intention of becoming legal,they just want benefits that are free to them,and how dare us not like it

Your un-informed and obviously un-read interpretation of SB1070 further adds to the ignorance and intolerance of an effort to protect and defend our state from invasion of "Un-documented Democrats". READ THE BILL BEFORE YOU CONDEMN IT...there is NO requirement for law enforcement to stop someone based only on suspected immigration issues! You are part of the problem, not part of the solution, certainly not a respected investigative journalist. To repeat an expression, YOU LIE !!!

Targeting brown skin people, no kidding! News flash: the people crossing the border illegally...are brown! So you are going to get carded because you're brown, I get carded for alcohol because I look under 21, I'm 32 years old. Some stores go as far as posting signs that say if you are under 31 (yes 31), you must show ID, yet that doesn't stop people from refusing to sell me alcohol until I show them my ID, again I'm 32 for you slow people. That is "AGE DISCRIMINATION". But you know what, all I do is pull out my wallet, show my ID, and the clerk feels retarded. If an officer walks up to you and asks you for ID, and you say in ENGLISH, "No problem officer, here you go". Your conversation will be over almost immediately and he will tell you to have a good day. However, if you can't speak English, or barely speak it, then fail to produce identification, what do you think is going to happen. Allow me to enlighten the individuals that recently migrated here legally. My salads from Boston Market (yeah, it sucks, i know) no longer come with White-Meat chicken on them because a bunch of vegetarians complained and now I have to request it extra on the side, which is now dark meat stripped from the greasy-skinned chicken which I refuse to eat. Welcome to America! Line up and settle in for long road where everyone else loves being in your business and telling you what to do. This is how America works in this day and age. Complaining because you are going to get carded, for being brown skinned, when the rest of your country is entering this country illegally. Blame the illegals, they are the problem. They are ruining it for you, not America. We are just weeding out the problem. I don't care what color you are, if you are here illegally, you deserve every bit of hardship you get from America. For those of you here "LEGALLY", I welcome you to America and say, "Buckle up, learn English, learn the laws, and it will be a smooth, profitable, easy ride...or you can head back where you came from or end up poor or in jail like the rest of the WHITE, black, brown, yellow, red-skinned individuals that just don't get it and want to blame race, society, or whatever else they can think of."

The continual media hype about this law has smoke screened it's original intent. If your stop for a traffic violation anywhere in this country the first thing they ask for is your license and registration! Americans typically carry some form of identification. You need it in all aspects of our credit card carrying society. Why is this such a personal affront? Would rather see that mini-van filled with 18 illegals flipped over on the highway, maybe on top of one of your children? or should somebody be able to stop them before hand and ask the for their proper identification. We get so much bad press from all over this country, but noby ever mentioned that this law has an 80%approval rating among Arizonians, why?

Janet Napolitano has sawdust for brains.If this aws true then why are we on aboutthe drug traffic? Human trafficking is noless than slave trade.And the Illegals.I hunt most of the state and see it alot.Buy there drugs and support the Cartels.Hire the laborers,support the slave trade.And then the free ride the Illegals reap.Yes our border has never been so secure!

As usual, the story doesn't say much about the conditions inside of Mexico that make people want to leave. It mentions how dangerous it is for migrants going through Mexico, but that's about it. Ironic that the story mentions someone with diabetes being apprehended - first thing I thought was "great - another drain on our medical system that we will have to pay for". The fact is that we are a dumping ground for people that Mexico doesn't want. We are not talking about Mexicos best and brightest here. How many doctors, lawyers, teachers, etc. are making the long and dangerous trek across the desert with a backpack?? Mexico's government and well-heeled upper class want illegal migration to continue so the pressure will be off of them to provide their own citizens with educations, jobs, basic rights. We are fools for allowing this to happen.

Editors note is incorrect in saying that "the police are required to stop anyone they think is here illegally." That's not true at all. They will be allowed to ask for proof of being in this country legally only after a person has been stopped for a crime whether vehicular or otherwise. The cannot arbitrarily stop anyone and just ask for proof of citizenship. This is not the gestapo so get it right please. It's incorrect comments like that, that cause problems. If you get stopped for a traffic violation, you have to show your ID and if you have an out of country ID then yoou should have either a passport, visa or green card which you should be carrying with you anyway.

Our former governor is not to be trusted. She changes her tune real fast when she is in charge. While gov for AZ, she screamed for border security. Now that she is in charge, not much has changed and things are peachy! I feel she is being controlled by those with an agenda to impose more security on the people, istead of securing our nation. Her ideas are synonymous with big brother controls based on her ADOT camera system.

Second, "probable cause" of SB1070 is unconstitutional because it leaves racial profiling open to police officers who want to abuse their power. The bill should bound ID checks to the system of due process; not random stops or suspicion. If AZ wants to turn to the Gestapo system, then suceed from the union... otherwise comply with the Constitution. Remember people, NEVER sacrifice FREEDOM for SECURITY!

Our borders need to be secured at the border, NOT via random stops! The bill does not do enough to protect LEGAL citizens from an opressive police state and forces LEGAL citizens to prove their citizenship through a negative "I am NOT and illegal-citizen". This is so backwards; but people are sick of this violation of our country that they are willing to sacrifice their freedoms to solve it!

Also, STOP ALL financial and social aid to ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS and they will stop coming here. NO PRESIDENT SINCE NIXON HAS ENFORCED IMMIGRATION LAWS IN THIS COUNTRY AND HAVE ADDED TO THE SOCIAL SAFETY NET FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS!

Why should there be law suits? The 1070 law is no different than the Federal law? And besides if you read California Penal Code 834B. It states the same as what 1070 states,only allowing the state to act. So California by boycotting and such are in Violation of there own state Laws! People need to read and understand ,rather than point a finger and cry over something they have yet read or understand. Respects

When I read this, I can't help but wonder whatwould happen if USA would finally legalize drugs - thiswould disable to drug cartels and end a lot of violence.I think it would help Mexico and it's people from the corruptionand violence they are so desperate to flee from.

the govt should have stopped all this illegal immigration15 years ago now its out of hand.see if all these protestersfrom out of state will want to take on all the bills az taxpayerhave had to aka california,owner of phoenix suns and rev alif dumb people would read it its same as fed law ,only differancethey wont enforce it,we ;americans;need to do someting to save thisstate from being over run,like calif,thats why they are brokewhat part of illegal dont they understand

Janet Napolitano is a “SABOTEUR” of America’s safety. She wants the American people to suffer. The U.S./ Mexican border has never been secure. Also my grandfather fought in the Spanish/American war. Not the Mexico/USA war! Mexicans are not indigenous to Mexico. They came after the Spanish left. Mexicans never lived in the US as the story states. They were Indians and Spaniards. The writer Paul Rubin is clueless to American history. Too many western movies I guess.

My God, listen to all these city dwelling bleeding heart liberals whom most of them have ever seen an Mexican or anyone else of Hispanic decent, yet they so quickly criticize a law in our state that is taken straight from the Federal Immigration law, so I guess the entire U.S. of A.'s immigration legislation is racists. Grow up you bunch of whiners.

The problem is all you W.A.S.P. city people think you have to get into the middle of something you have no clue about. I grew up out in the desert, I have literally seen bushes walk across my property, I saw the chief of police on the Ak-chin Rez shot by an illegal, I've seen our chickens, ducks, geese, rabbits pigs and cows stole so they could eat, I've had them try to get into my house in the middle of the night, the things you people do not see or hear about on the liberal news, these are the things we experience out in the desert. This has become life as usual out where I grew up. You call this law and us racist, because we support it, we call it being tired of having to defend our property, livelihood and our families, as if we were still in the early 1900's, in the United States of America. You say that we are insensitive, yet there is a standing unspoken rule in the southern parts of Az. to leave food out for travelers to eat and water to drink, just because we do not want illegals here does not mean that we are wishing for them to perish.

We are not against immigration, we are against illegal immigration, we are sick of the crime we are sick of it all and then to spit in the faces of all of us, we are told to be tolerant and get called racists from other Americas, who have no idea about what we deal with out here. Just a quick fact, 150 thousand criminals aliens were deported last year. That's just the criminals, rapists, murderers, arson's, etc. That 411 illegal criminals every day that are deported, and you liberal pansies are thinking it is ok for them to be here.

Please do me a favor, if you are anywhere else in the country or the world, other than Arizona, shut up and stop talking about the infestation of crime that you do not have to deal with like we do. In other words, if you do not know what you are talking about shut the HELL up. And if you have never seen what goes on south of Phoenix you have no reason to open your mouth and show your ignorance.

The language has changed to keep people from screaming racism, but we all know that chant is never going to end. Read the bill people and stop whiningWhite folks! Crazy people!

Lee, I am not reading that. The bill states "lawful contact" from the law enforcement officer. Pulling somebody over for DWB is not lawful contact. If you know that you violated no traffic laws the first thing you should do is ask the officer why did he/she pull you over? So far that has always been sufficient to deter the officers targeting mi familia. Please show me where you get this interpretation because I do not see it.

Good old Janet Napolitano. Inept in Phoenix; inept in D.C. So the border is as secure as it ever was, eh. Janet is about as talented at extemporaneous public commentary as that born again imbecile George W. Bushwhacker was. Did she mean that to be funny or to simply showcase how vacuous an over-the-hill lesbian bureaucrat gets in old age. NOW HEAR THIS ALL YOU SANDLAND SHITHEADS... THE BORDER IS AS SECURE AS IT EVER WAS AND WILL EVER BE. All of Obamas troop deployment to the desert is all for show, as was Granny Brewster's "cordial" chat with the President in D.C. It's all for show. Methamphetamine will still get delivered to the U.s. and so will many Mexicans trying to get here for work. We can wait for Rusty-ass Pearce to start shooting.

Cops could ALREADY check your papers if you were detained in connection with a suspected criminal act.

1070 requires cops to check your papers regardless of suspected criminal activity if they suspect you are an illegal immigrant. And what would lead them to suspect that? Brown skin? Indian appearance? Speaking Spanish to your child? Ranchero music heard from your open car window?

Lee, get your head out of your ass. What Rubin report is exactly the case. The authorities think it was an illegal alien, for sure, they just haven't announced it yet. But they definitely do not think the assailant is in the United States. I agaree that there a lot of racists out there, but the situation is what it is.

I have no complaint about this article. It is fairly done as a part of a series to show the entirety of the problem and most of us do have mixed feelings about this issue and knowing where to draw the line in the sand state is difficult.

What I do have a gripe with, and consider irresponsible, legally questionable journalism is the header to the article that is a flat out lie about the law. To my understanding the question of papers can only be asked during the investigation of a crime. There will be no pulling people over on the suspicion that they are illegal under this law. Racial profiling (DWB) already is in effect and happens weekly to members of my household. If the illegal commits no crime they will never be asked for their papers so the law will never affect them.

If the illegal learns to speak some English and bothers to learn the law, that illegal can prevent the question of asking for papers from ever occurring. If the English speaking, false paper carrying illegal is pulled over for DWB only and the illegal knows the laws the illegal can protect his/her self and the paper question will never get asked. So in effect, this law will also enforce a semblance of assimilation - speaking the language and obeying the laws, which for many of us is all we are asking for.

Law-abiding illegals can live out their whole lives with this law never having an affect on them any way whatsoever.

are just piss-poor journalism. The fact is that they haven't linked the homicide to ANY nationality, let alone any immigration status, and Rubin's statement is more worthy of a Glenn Beck screed than it is of the Phoenix New Times.

Mr. Krentz has been a rallying cry for tougher border security, but has anyone asked, " Who was Mr. Krentz ". He was known as the load cutter amongst the smugglers. He would cut drug loads in half, turn in the other half to the police, and sell the other half. Quit trying to make him out as some poor rancher who was murdered. The Police will not comment on this, because they know its the truth.

Janet Napolitano only knows the border from the dog and pony shows arranged by her handlers with the state and the Dept. of Homeland (oh so close to "Vaterland") Security. She hasn't driven the border by herself, or spent any meaningful time on the border. She's just another ego-driven pol on the make. Ad infinitum. Is there anyone on government interested in anyone beside themselves?